WELLINGTON ISSUE: SMOKE AND MIRRORS

The Watercooler is a platform for people from all walks to tell their stories, both true and imagined, in front of a live audience. Inspired by many well-known storytelling events and podcasts held worldwide such as The Moth, or This Amercian Life. Host and produced by Alice Brine, created by Sarah Finnigan- Walsh. This month's theme in Wellington is Smoke and Mirrors, more commonly known as a metaphor for deception and illusion. Fraudulent activity, lies and tricks, smoke and mirrors lurking in the shadows under a bridge wearing a top hat. Witches with potions and merchants whose eyes twitch. However, what is smoke and mirrors in 2016? Rather than black magic, illusion and deception is everywhere. It's in politics, advertising, social propaganda, the terms and conditions that no one actually reads. Just the fact that we're getting really good at filling our eyebrows in using make up is all part of this world we're in where it becomes impossible to tell the difference between truth and lies. Photoshop is the modern smoke and the billboard on the back of the bus is the mirror the smoke blows over.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.